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It’s unfortunate that I got too busy to post this yesterday while it was still fresh on the mind. I did my live show at Red State Talk Radio and normally I get the podcast up within a few hours. But yesterday was a whirlwind of interviews and discussions, so I didn’t get to write up this article or post the podcast until Thursday.
For a recap, former acting-DNI Ric Grenell went on the warpath yesterday by posting blatantly false information about America First candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania Kathy Barnette. I came to the conclusion after looking at his and other attacks from people I generally like and admire that they’re coming to the defense of Donald Trump and his endorsement of Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Losing in the primary would be a poor loss for the television doctor, but it would be devastating for Trump. The press will eat him alive, hammering for days or even weeks how Trump has lost power in the Republican Party and Dr. Oz losing would be their proof. It’s not true, at least the part about Trump losing power. He backed the wrong candidate, a Democrat pretending to be a Republican who is backed by the GOP Establishment and the globalist elites.
Everyone makes mistakes.
Grenell and others have come to his rescue, throwing out blatant lies in an effort to smear her at the last moment. Until a couple of weeks ago, she wasn’t even a factor in the race. Fellow globalist RINO David McCormick and Dr. Oz were spending a lot of money attacking each other and Barnette snuck in the back door to surge to a three-way tie. The RINOs and Trump allies joined forces to try to take her down at the last minute. Sean Hannity, a Dr. Oz supporter who some believe is the reason Trump backed the candidate in the first place, went scorched earth on her during his show Wednesday night.
As I said in the article yesterday, I do still like Grenell and others who are on the wrong side of this issue. It’s disheartening but not entirely unexpected when we look at the big picture. Whether it was ill-advised or not to back Dr. Oz, that’s the card that Trump selected and many of his allies are backing his play. The way they look at it, one more RINO in the Senate is a worthy price to pay if it will solidify Trump’s status as the undisputed leader of the Republican Party. If Dr. Oz loses in the primary, Trump will get roasted by both the GOP Establishment and the press.
I don’t want that to happen, but I refuse to back Trump’s bad choices. I did not support Mitt Romney just because Trump said so. I did not believe Rex Tillerson, H.R. McMaster, John Bolton, Omarosa, Anthony Scaramucci, Reince Priebus, Jeff Session, or Mike Pence were good for the country just because Trump said so. As an America First movement, we cannot blindly follow what Trump or anyone else says just because they say it. We must stand for what’s best for the country, and that’s Kathy Barnette.
On the next episode, I will be debunking why the latest rumor that Barnette cannot win the general election is unambiguously false. You can catch it at Red State at 2pm Eastern or wait for the replay on The Midnight Sentinel.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
I am a Pennsylvania resident, and I will not vote for Dr. OZ. Most likely I will vote for Kathy Barnette. Heard her on Glenn Beck this morning and she seemed to debunk the charges against her and said the right things.
https://twitter.com/kathy4truth/status/1283136331028353024
I agree with your assessment, JD. Jack Posobiec has gone through the scripts of 1600 hours of past interviews and he said there is not one position that Dr. Oz takes that would be considered conservative. Maybe Trump was enamored by Dr. Oz’s “TV personality” side… who knows. But what we all know is that Trump didn’t always pick the best to surround himself with. He’s human and makes mistakes, like we all do. But we do need to put the right people in office, not blindly follow ANYONE in what they say and do.
Trump’s endorsement caused more harm to him, Greg Kelly, Sean Hannity, Ric Grenell and Sean Parnell than it helped Oz. I have lost all respect for everyone mentioned.
All respect? That’s a zero tolerance policy. Why not allow people to make mistakes. Dr Oz is one of them. When he goes down in flames in the primary we can all move on.
Well because she is a mcconnell troll!
Greg Kelly did raise some interesting issues with her military service last night. I really like him and I respect his opinion being prior military like me, and an actual combat correspondent. I’m a fan of Barnett if only because she is shaking up the establishment. She was on Bannon’s show for a half an hour this afternoon and of course, like Oz, she says all of the right things. She has a couple of tweets and videos for history, Oz has thousands of hours of content he has to answer for.
One thing for sure PA has one heck of a choice this primary. I hope they get it right.
Well a loss by Oz is not what Vegas is saying. They are putting the money on OZ!!!! Vegas is almost never wrong!!!
https://twitter.com/kathy4truth/status/1283136331028353024
Both Hannity and Grenell protests too much. Trump made his endorsement and Oz must make his case to the good people of PA. If Barnette sneaks in, then she must buildup to win the general with Trump’s endorsement. She has a compelling story in light of the SCOTUS brouhaha.
Kathy Barnette and Mehmet Oz have both said very unsavory things to question their party platform loyalty.
Barnette has impugned ‘white people’, ‘George Washington’, and Donald Trump prior to his victory in ’16. Dr. Oz has flipped on abortion, guns, and other issues, however, Trump made his health history public on his show in ’16 and Oz attracts independent women.
Which one can help Trump win in 2024 critical PA counties, Montgomery & Philly, that he lost in 2020?
Oz and his wife, Lisa (Asplundh) , can with her family’s rich and deep ties to both counties.
There is no perfect candidate here but sometimes The Buckley Rule Matters
Maybe Grenell / Hannity advised Trump in the first place and are saving their own skin. I think “ultra maga” populists beating the moderates and ultimately winning the general election is the best course. These are not radical lunatics at all. I’m a registered Dem. I can’t think of a single one I’d vote for. So who are these mythical Moderates/Dems that would vote for Oz?
NONE. N-O-N-E of this matters at all if they don’t fix the election system which allowed Brandon to be appointed in 2021, especially in PA!
Things are so far gone now that I don’t think even Trump can save us and he is the only one who could except for Desantis maybe. Does anyone think that the establishment RINOs or the deep state would allow either of those guys to win? HELL no.
It was a mistake for Trump to endorse Oz, but I (like most Trump supporters) have a brain and think for myself. We aren’t some democrat cult regardless of what people say.
Let me ask you (anyone)…Is there anyone in the entire world that you agree with 100 percent of the time? Nope.
Exactly!!
What’s the big deal? Trump endorsed someone and some people have a different opinion. As opposed to what the media says R’s don’t vote like robots.
‘California conservative’ is sorta like a Texas liberal. You are not helping conservatism. You are hurting it.
I heard Hannity today talking about how she cannot win a general election and that she is anti-Trump and pro-Obama. He said she has many anti-white rants and pro-Islam statements as well as recommending a statue of Obama next to Lincoln in DC. I do not know if any of it is true after Grenell went south.
Well a loss by Oz is not what Vegas is saying. They are putting the money on OZ!!!! Vegas is almost never wrong!!!
Hannity is trying to cover his own foolish recommendation of Oz to Trump. Kathy Barnette came across as much more genuine than Oz in their debate, and I would vote for her in a heartbeat. Hannity is more worried about his own reputation than he is about Pennsylvania or the Country. Oz is a fake, and his history is that of a liberal, not a conservative. Go Barnette!
The devil always comes across genuine. I don’t like either. I assume Oz can be controlled but Kathy will be able to revert to her obvious racism once the elected.